The US Department of Interior added Waverley Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 2006. 

The 22-1/2 block district includes 281 historic structures.  The district is primarily residential with one church and one apartment building. The district is bounded by W Broadway on the north, W Oklahoma on the south, S Harrison on the East and W Buchanan on the West. 

The district sits on land that was once the Luther Braden Farm.  While Enid got its start in the Cherokee Strip Land Run of September 16, 1893, development of land west of downtown Enid was delayed due to a land dispute.  Once the land dispute was settled, Charles West (a young attorney, who later became Oklahoma's first Attorney General and who was President of the Waverley Investment Company) purchased the Luther Braden Farm on April 16, 1902.  Charles West immediately sold the land to his investment company which made way for development of the land.  

Waverley's four additions were platted between 1902 and 1907 (the year Oklahoma became a state).  The historic structures in the district are an open book of viturally every architectural style of home popular at the end of the 19th Century and the start of the 20th Century.  The City of Enid recognized the historic significance of the homes within the district in when it designated Waverley Historic District as a local historic district on July 1, 1986. 

Two homes within the district are listed individually in the National Register.  These homes are the McCristy-Knox Mansion located at 1323 W Broadway Avenue and the Eason Oil Mansion located at 1305 W Broadway. 

The residents of the district formed the Waverley Historic Neighborhood Association in April 1998 and the association works to improve quality of life within the district and to ensure the history integrity of the district is maintained. 

In 2007, the association partnered with the City of Enid to purchase a roadside marker that tells the history of the district.  The sign was dedicated on October 1, 2007. 

The association conducts Yard of the Month Contests throughout the spring and summer months and conducts an annual Homes Tour. 

The district produced its first Calendar featuring homes within the district and funds from the 2008 calendar sales will go toward sidewalk repairs.  The district also has a Neighborhood Watch Program.  

A Walking-Tour Brochure of Waverley Historic District is available upon request from the City of Enid Community Plans Office at (580) 234-0400.

 

Submitted by:  Shirley Marquardt, 1323 W Broadway Ave, Enid, OK 73703, (580) 234-2197, knoxmanor@aol.com

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